Saturday, December 30, 2006

This post comes to you live (um) from Dallas, where I am officially stuck. I'm here at the public library, with16 minutes remaining on my Internet session. I guess I better type fast :-)

The plan for this week was that Mosch and I would drive to Dallas on Saturday (done), I'd drive to Houston on Sunday (done) and spend the week with my mom and the dogs (done), drive back to Dallas on Friday (done), and Mosch, Terpsichore, and I would drive back to Denver starting today (not done).

Terpsichore, Mosch's girlfriend, is moving to Denver, so Mosch's plan for the week was to pack up her apartment and get ready for us to leave this morning. At this point I personally doubt we'll be ready to leave even tomorrow morning, and I should probably be at the apartment helping to make sure that happens, but I pretty much am just not willing to do it. I think I'm leaving in the morning whatever happens, so...we'll see if anyone is in the car with me or not. (In the plan, Mosch drives the U-Haul, towing Terpsi's car, and Terpsi and her cat Cybele ride with me.)

Thursday, December 07, 2006

This is the list of what I still have to do for the rest of the semester. I'm dividing it by due date.

For MondayFinish the 3 (short) sections of Proofs homework assigned last week.Finish up the last homework, which was returned pending the final, so that it's complete when I turn in it - I have to complete one short additional section for that.Write a 4-5 page "axiomatic development" paper on hyperbolic geometry.Study for the final exam.

For WednesdayComplete as many sections of homework as I can manage, but at least 4-5 so I don't have to do extremely well on the final to get an A. (I am about 10 sections behind in total.)Study for the final exam.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

I went to campus today at lunchtime to accomplish various tasks related to graduating, passing classes, etc., and I managed to miraculously accomplish all of them. I drove to campus and got 12-hour parking for $5, and then walked over to the library.

I went there last night to try to get some books on hyperbolic geometry (the topic for my Proofs paper due Monday) and I found two good books (both slim - whew) and went to check them out, figuring I could pay my years-old fine at the circulation desk. But no. My fine is in collections and I had to pay it at the admin office, which was already closed.

So that was my first stop today, and I found the admin office (in a far-flung corner of the extremely large library we have; I never realized how huge it is before) and waited a few minutes until the fine guy showed up so I could pay the money I owed. Then I got my two books from where they were held from me and checked them out. Score!

Next I went to the Math Department office, where they were holding my signed Individualized Degree Plan. It got signed two weeks ago, and I had them hold it for me so I could pick it up, but I never got around to actually picking it up. That was dumb. But after I retrieved it, I carried it over to a different building where the Center for Individualized Studies is to deliver it.

Of course, the guy there who I talked to last semester about wanting to do an IDP was pretty huffy that I had gotten it signed by the department folks without running the final one by him first. "Did I tell you to get it signed?" he asked. But once I backed down and explained that yes, I knew I was doing everything in the wrong order, but that I kept not getting it done and was trying to get it finalized this semester so I can graduate on time (because you can't file an IDP with fewer than a certain number of hours remaining to take), he became helpful and kind, and told me he would look it over and email me with any problems.

The one problem I already know about is that, when the transfer office evaluated my transcripts, they transferred 12 hours of German credits from Rice, but did not count any of it as having satisfied my "Communications" general studies requirement. For that, you need the second semester of a foreign language sequence, and I was able to skip that at Rice because I had 3 years of German in high school. So I needed to get a form from the Modern Languages department, via the head of the German sub-department (whatever they call it), stating that I've met the requirement.

I've been trying to contact the German person by email and phone, but she hadn't replied yet. I went by her office (in another far-flung building) and, amazingly, she was there, about to go to her class starting in 10 minutes. I explained my situation ("oh, you emailed me" she said) and, after she was done sternly correcting me for making mistakes - like saying I needed my "foreign language general studies requirement" (which they don't have here; it's 'Communications' and I guess you don't have to take a foreign language if you can meet it another way) - she said I could leave my transfer evaluation form and she would do the form I need and forward it to the registrar, leaving me a copy (which I already know I'll never pick up) in her mailbox. Catching her like that was pure luck.

After all that, I ate lunch in yet another building on campus, and then walked back downtown. I have classes tonight, so I'll walk down and then be able to drive straight home. So right now I'm pretty tired, but very pleased to have accomplished all of my missions, even the improbable ones.